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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: ground · root · club · current · leaves · face · race · plane

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. race — humankind
  3. club — for golf
  4. face — part of the head
  5. current — happening now
  6. current — of water
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. club — for dancing
  10. ground — crushed
  11. face — to point toward
  12. root — of a plant
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. current — electric
  15. race — a contest
  16. root — of a word
  17. ground — the earth
  18. root — the cause
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. race — the arms race
  21. ground — a position
  22. plane — a tool
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. face — to confront

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com